Peanut-picking machine.



Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. E. FERGUSON.

PEANUT PIGKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1s, 1908.

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PEANUT PIGKING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PEANUT PICKING MAGHINB.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 13, 190s.

912,835. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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A TTOHNEYS FINTON F. FERGUSON, OF MURFREESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

PEANUT-PICKIIG MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

' `Application lod lay 1B, 1908.' Serial No. 432,654.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F-rN'roN F. FnnoUsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Murfreesboro in the county of Hertford and State of orth Carolina, have made `certain new and useful Improvements in Peanut-Picking Machines, of which the fol-` `comprisesa frame 1 provided at each end with axles 2, upon which are journale'd Wheels 3 and the frame is provided at approximately its center with side lates 4, 1n which is journaled a shaft 5, having secured thereto a drum 6, the drum consisting oi separated rings 7, connected to the hubs 8 by spokes 9, the hubs being secured to the shaft, and the rings are connected by a netting 10.

At spaced intervals on the peri heral surface '0 the drum and beneath t e nettin are arranged transverse bars 11, provide with a longitudinal series of spaced pins 12, and one of the ends of the shaft has secured thereto a sprocket wheel 13 of relatively large diameter, connected by a sprocket chain 14 with thai-power shaft 15, which is journaled on ,the ame at the rear of the side lates 4.

A e'ed chute 16 is supported at the front of the frame by the uprlghts 17 connected with the frame, and the delivery end of the feed 4chute is arranged slightly above the center of the drum as shown in Fig. 1.

' Cooperating with the drum, are a pair of .frames 18, each consisting of bars 19 arranged transversely of the drum and connected by straps 20 arranged transversely of the bars and secured thereto as at 21, and

a diagonal brace 22, and the lower faces o thebars 4alb rovid'ed withspring teeth 23 the said teet having a portlon 24, in-

' 5 is a detail sectional view on' serted in thebar and being provided below the bar with a coil 25, and from the coil the teeth are bent backwardly as at 26 and downwardly as at 27, the tip of the teeth extending slightly below the level of the tips offthe pins as shown in F 2. A pipe or rod 28 extends through t e coils or the teeth on a bar, and the said ipes or vrods are bolted to the bars, where y to secure the teeth in place, as at 28a.

The frames have pivoted thereto at approximately the center thereof, one end of a link 29, the other end of the link being pivoted to a lever 30, which is secured by its center toa vertical shaft 31, journaled in bearin s 32 on the side plates, and provided at its ower end with a cranked portion 33, connected by a link 34 with a crank 35 on the shaft 15 before mentioned. It will be obvious from the description, that when the shaft 31 is oscillated the Jframes will be moved transversely of the drum in opposite directions.

Arc-shaped bars 36 are connected to the side plates 4 by means of bolts 37, traversing o emngs in the bars and slots 38 in the side p ates, and the said arc-shaped plates are connected by cross bars 39 arranged at spaced intervals, and provided on their lower surfaces with the teeth 23 before mentioned, the cross bars 39 being omitted at the points occupied by the bars 19 of the vibrating frames. The bars 39 are engaged by the straps 20, thus'serving to support and guide the vibrating frames.

An endless carrier is arranged below the drum, the said carrier com rising spaced shafts 40 and 41, the shaft 40 being arranged below the drum and the shaft 41 at the rear thereof, and each of the shafts is provided with spaced sprocket wheels 42, engaged by endless sprocket chains 43, which are connected at suitable intervals by slats 44. The ower shaft 15 is arranged intermediate the s afts 40 and 41, and 1s provided with splrocketwheels 45 also engagin the sprocket c ains 43 whereby to drive t e same. A board 46 is arranged below the u er run of the endless carrier as shown in 1g.` 2, and the said carrier delivers to a peanut stemmin -device arranged at the rear of the mac ine. The stemming device is of ordinary construction, comprising a frame 47, having 'a false bottom composed of spaced slats 48, .between which are arranged toothed disks 49, the teeth of the disks enaging the stems and drawlng them througlh he slats thus stripping the peanuts from t e vines.

'A fan 50 is arranged below theendless carrier, the casing 51 of the fan being p rovided with a delivery spout 52 opemng below the delivery end of the endless carrier and into the stemrnin device as shown in Fig. 2. The outer en of the shaft of the fan 50 is rovided with a sprocket Wheel 53, connected) by a sprocket chain 54, with a sprocket wheel 55 on the power shaft .15 and the said ower shaft is provided with anothersprociet wheel 56 connected by a sprocket chain 57 with a sprocket wheel 58 on the end of the upper shaft 41 of the endless conveyer.

The lower portion of the drum 1s cased 1n as shown at 59, and the fan casing is provided with end openings 60, for admitting the air thereto.

In operation, the vines are fed through the chute 16 against the drum, and are enga ed by the pins 12, and carried rearwardly eneath the vibratin frames, and against the spring teeth 23. he passage of the vines beneath the teeth, separates them from each other, and removes the greater art of y the nuts therefrom, 'the nuts falling t rough the drum on to the carrier, which delivers them onto the stemmin device at the rear, the fan acting to clean t em from the leaves and broken stems.

The perforated covering used on the drum, permits the nuts to fall throu h while retaining the leaves and vines, an compelling them to pass around the periphe of the drum, thus aiding in separating al of the nuts from the vines.

I claim:

1. A peanut picking machine comprising a wheel sup orted frame, a feed chute, a drum 'ourna ed in the frame behind the feed c ute, said drum comprising spaced heads and a perforated covering connecting the heads, bars arranged longitudinally of the drum at spaced intervals beneath the perforated covering, said bars being provided at re lar intervals with pins projecting radial beyond the perforated covering, an arc-s aped frame su ported on the drum, said frame being provi ed with spring teeth projecting below the free ends of the pins, a pair of frames mounted to slide on said arc-shaped frame longitudinally of the drum, an endless conveyer below the drum, a stemming device to which the conveyer delivers, a fan delivering below the delivery end of the conveyer and means for operating said parts.A

2. A peanut picking machine com rising a drum, said drum comprising space heads and a perforated covering connecting the -of projecting below the tips of the means for reciprocating the series in unlson,

heads, bars arranged longitudinally of the drum at spaced intervals beneath the perforated covering, said bars being provided at re lar intervals with pins projecting radialy beyond the perforated covering, a pair of frames mounted to slide transversely of the drum, said frames being provided with spring teeth projecting below the free ends of the pins an endless conveyer below the drum, a stemming device to which the conve er delivers, a fan delivering below the de ivery end of the conveyer and means for operating said parts.

3. A peanut picking machine comprising a drum mounted for rotation, said drum comprising spaced heads a perforated covering connecting the heads, longitudinal series of spaced pins arranged on the peri hery of the drum, a pair of frames mounte to slide transversely of the direction of movement of the drum, said frames being provided with spring teeth projecting below the free ends of the pins, an endless conveyer below the drum, a stemming device to which the conveyer delivers, a fan delivering below the de ivery end of the conveyer, and means for operating said parts.

4. A peanut picking machine comprising a drum mounted for rotation, said drum comprising spaced heads a perforated covering connecting the heads, longitudinal series of spaced pins on the periphery of the drum, a frame vprovided wit spring teeth rojecting below the free ends of the pins an mounted for sliding movement lo ltudinally of the drum, an endless conveyeligbelow the drum, a stemming device to which the conveyer delivers, and a fan delivering below the delivery end of the conveyer.

5. A peanut icking machine comprising a drum mounted) for rotation, said drum comprising spaced heads a perforated covering connecting the heads, a plurality of lo itudinal series of spaced pins onv the perixpery of the drum, a plurality of series of s rin teeth arranged above the drum, the tipso the teeth projecting below the tips of the pins, means for reciprocating the teeth slmul-v taneously longitudinally of the drum, a stemming device, an endless conveyer for receiving the vines from the drum ,and delivering them to the stemming device,cand a fan between the delivery .end of the conveyer and the stemming device. A

6. A peanut picking machine-comprisl a drum having openings in its perlphera surface, longitudinal series of spaced pins on the periphery of the drum, means for rotating the drum, a series of s ring teetharranged above the drum with tliie points there- Puls a stemming device, and an endless conveyer receiving from the drum and delivering to the stemming device.

lll

7. A peanut picln'ng machine com risin a drum aving erforations in its periphera surface, lo tu al series of spaced ms on the eriphery of the drum, a series o s ring teet mounted for movement longitudinally of the drum, thetips of the teeth projecting below the ti s of the pins, a-stemmin device, and means or receiving the vines om the drum anddelivering them to the stemming device.

8. In a peanut icking machine, a rotatabl drum provided on its peripheral surface with. longltudinal series of spaced pins, .a series of spring teeth mounted adjacent to the periphery of the drum and movable be- A tween the pins, means for rotating the drum,

and means for reciprocating the teeth.

9. In a peanut icking machine, a rotatable drum provided) on its peripheral surface with radially projecting pins, a series of spring teeth movable between the pins,

nected with the bars, said teeth having each a coil adjacent to the bars, and a rod traversing the coils and secured to the bar.

11. In a peanut icking machine, a rotatable drum provide on its peripheral surface with radially projecting pins, and s ring teeth movable longitudlnally of the rum andfcoperating with the pins to separate the nuts from the vines.

FINTON F. FERGUSON.

Witnesses JOHN B. TRADER, EMMETT N. EVANS. 

